Everlasting (Draco Malfoy x Reader)

Snow

"[F/n]? Why're you crying?" Ginny asked, pulling you over to the side in one of the hallways.

"I'm not crying," you quickly protested, wiping your tears. "I just sneezed."

"You definitely are crying." She sat you down on a window ledge in the hallway, and it immediately reminded you of the position of you and Malfoy, only you were in the darkness, in the ultimate obscurity of passion and intensity. That was then, this is now, and the tears streaming from your face were the consequence of indulging in matters with Malfoy. Yet, it was your fault - you knew the disgusting personality the boy bore; what else had you expected? "It's Malfoy, isn't it?" She said calmly, leaning in to you as though you were being spied on.

"Well," you said, huffing, not quite wanting to admit it. Yet, no further protest would qualify; Ginny was certain of your tears and the base of them.

"What did he do?"

"Nothing particular."

"Something very particular, otherwise you wouldn't be crying over him." For a moment, Ginny fell silent, almost as though deep in thought, when suddenly her thoughts were reignited and, with a startle, she gasped and covered her mouth. "Don't tell me-"

"What?"

"You know!"

"I don't," you said, not knowing what she was alluding to.

"The [F/n] I know would never cry over Malfoy - she would scold him, beat him up. This is worse. This is way worse. You've let his words, actions get to you. And at what cost, [F/n]?"

"At what cost," you nodded, repeating it to yourself, attempting to find the answer somewhere deep within yourself. "At what cost, indeed!"

"Oh, [F/n], will you calm down?" Ginny pleaded, quickly pulling you in for a hug and rubbing your back gently. "What did he say, tell me."

"Maybe," you nodded, "but not here."

"Then?"

Looking around, you sighed and took a hold of her hand, pulling her away into the distance. She didn't question where you led her, and soon discovered it to be none other than one of the bell towers. And so, sitting down in the compact room, you both sat cross-legged, facing each other on the dusty floor.

"Well?"

"You cannot tell anyone."

"On my life."

"Ginny, I've done a bad thing."

"Did you fuck Malfoy?"

"What? No! Not that bad," you rolled your eyes, "but he and I, well, it's weird. One minute we're sitting together in the dark, ready to lean in and," you paused, "and kiss. Him touching my lips, looking at me as though I'm a princess, telling me he's been so worried about me and how proud he is of me, and the next he is mocking me, laughing at me and insulting me with his friends."

"Oh my Merlin," Ginny gasped. "[F/n], are you stupid?"

"What?"

"You are so stupid!"

"I know - I shouldn't have done any of that!"

"No, that's not what I mean. Stupid as in - do you not see it?"

"See what?"

"Oh, goodness, [F/n]! May Merlin have mercy on you and your stupid head! Your stupid, foolish head! The boy has a crush on you, and what a strong one!"

"God forbid," you groaned. "He doesn't, and thank the Lord for that."

"Sure, have your own opinion. But we'll see what happens. At the Yule Ball. And at the next tasks. You'll see."

"How can you be so certain that something'll happen?"

"Because I just do," she grinned, winking at you. "But, [F/n], what about Cedric?"

"Don't ask me that, I beg. I like Cedric so much - I love him - yeah, and I don't know what to think. I can't do this. I haven't been able to think rationally recently with all the tasks and the stress. I still don't know what to do with the egg."

"Calm down, will you? Maybe take a break from both of them. Both Cedric and Malfoy, and focus on yourself and surviving through these tasks. Boys have time, your life does not."

"You're right," you sighed. "Yes, alright. How about we go to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

"Sounds good," she smiled.

That evening, sitting in your dorm, you sat upon the window ledge and leaned your head on the glass pane, sighing heavily. The atmosphere was cold and distant, and you felt weary and lonely; since you parted with Ginny earlier that day, you'd spent the rest of your time alone, wandering around or reading in silence. You'd avoided both Malfoy and Cedric at all costs, all day, and if you saw them passing in your direction, you quickly slipped through into another hall and made your way away quickly, not feeling the need for affection or arguments or twisted jokes of Malfoy.

Quietly, you began humming to yourself, gently patting your head against the pane in rhythm to the hum. And, from nowhere, small, white snowflakes began to drop from the sky, falling in a graceful manner that attracted your eye instantly as you smiled at the view.

"It's snowing," you whispered to yourself with a jovial voice.

The snow began to increase, falling faster and in greater amounts, and, after some more time of watching it, you began to notice the layers and piles of it upon the dry ground. Soon enough, a thin layer of snow had covered the ground, and it motivated you to let yourself fall to bed and hope to find it full in the morning. For now, it was the only thing that appeared exciting or even mildly worth waking up for. The stress of the tasks, school, and boys was merely not working well on you, and yet, the thought of snow in the morning - it made it slightly more bearable.

Gazing at the snow for a while longer, you felt your muscles relax as the tension escaped your body. And so, from excitement of the morning tomorrow, you let yourself get into your bed. You snuggled into your duvet, into your pillow, and let yourself drift away to the thought of a better tomorrow of a white atmosphere. Christmas was close, and it was the only thought keeping you going.